Church Recording for St. Mary, Little Birch - Examples from the Records
Further Information on all these items (and many more) can be viewed in the Church Record
CHANCEL/MAIN ARCH SCREEN
Richly decorated wrought iron trefoiled Chancel screen of three bays, with central gates and overthrow. Iron work is painted crimson with some floral gold coloured decorations.
The framework comprises four vertical slender bars held together by two parallel horizontal bars across the top, which create the overthrow. Above the overthrow are seven matching metal candlesticks, interspersed with elaborate gold coloured scrolling.
The central gates are heavily decorated with scrolling and topped with a large circle and Greek cross. There are two side panels which are similarly decorated.
The screen was part of the rebuilding of the church paid for by the rector Rev. Stephen Thackwell in 1869. The iron work was by William Chick.
Click here for more details of the Screen and other Metalwork
ARCADE
An arcade of four bays each with a two centred arch with two moulded orders on circular piers with roll moulded capitals with roll moulded bases. Voussoirs are of alternating colour stone.
PULPIT
A carved wooden pulpit with a side opening accessed by stone steps.
The exterior consists of four decorative panels with carvings representing the four Evangelists, eagle representing St. John, winged ox St Luke, winged lion St Mark and winged man (being the emblem of “Divine Man”) St Matthew.
A pair of ornate crimson coloured three-branch wrought iron candelabra are fixed to the top of the Pulpit.
The pulpit is mounted on a decorative stone base, having four treads and five steps.
ALTAR FRONTAL
A multi-coloured tapestry design altar frontal of textured linen. The tapestry is similar in design to 'Venetian' manufactured by J. Wippell & Co. Ltd.
PIPE ORGAN
A large Pipe Organ. In fact, it comprises two organs, the original being by Gray and Davison and a second added in 1910 by H. Willis and Sons.
The case is painted pine and the console is integral to the organ. There are two manuals, the lower being original and the upper a later addition. Above the upper manual is a wide fixed sloping music desk.
There are 13 drawstops, with square, hardwood shanks, black square collars without felt lining. The Pipes are part decorative but with some squeaker pipes, made of pipe metal.
WEST WINDOW
A two centred arch with moulded edge, splayed reveals, narrow flat sill with chamfered edge.
Four trefoil-headed lancets (29-32) with large circular octofoil tracery light (1), two curve-edged triangular lights (10-11), two quatrefoils (12) (14) and a triangular light (13), surrounded by a constellation of eyelets, twenty two in total (2-9), (15-22).
The central roundel of the Octofoil contains a broad Greek cross and images and abstract or geometric shapes in a variety of colours. Other lights are decorated with coloured floral and abstract or geometric designs.
WAR MEMORIAL IN CHUCHYARD
A Calvary style War Memorial with large inscribed socket stone. The memorial is in three sections of white unpolished granite.
Upper section is a plain Latin cross.
Middle section is a socket stone in two parts. At the top a small square stone with an inscription on the West face. The large lower portion has a double chamfered top with a list of eight names on the West face.
The lower two step base has a single name inscribed on the horizontal surface of the upper step, West face.
BIBLE
Authorised version of the Holy Bible bound in blue/black leather with seven bars on spine.
Heavy gold coloured tooling to the front, with a narrow outer border and a broad inner rectangular frame. Between the bars of the spine are embossed gold coloured decorative medallions.
On fly, a typed inscription "Presented to St. Mary’s church at Little Birch by Mr and Mrs John Kinross July, 2018. Authorised Version, 1866 with Gustave Dore illustrations."
TITHE MAP
A framed and glazed Tithe map of the parish of Little Birch. The map has been tinted in shades of pink and green, showing land boundaries and titles.
There is a hand-written inscription in the top right corner "After the Tithe Survey for the parish of Little Birch. This was made following an Act of Parliament of 1836 which called for a settled apportionment of the tithe payments to the Church".
Underneath is a table headed: "Key to land use" and indicating Arable, Grass and Woodland.
Click here for a framed copy of 'History of the Church of England'.
